


Turning Cartwheels on the Precipice

by NeurotropicAgentX



Category: Dragon Ball
Genre: Cruelty, Freeza is Not Nice, M/M, Power Imbalance, Pre-Canon, Rare Pair, Tread Carefully, Vegeta Propositions Freeza, Xeno, in every sense
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-19
Updated: 2018-02-19
Packaged: 2019-03-21 05:15:34
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,363
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13733910
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NeurotropicAgentX/pseuds/NeurotropicAgentX
Summary: Vegeta’s overwhelming sense of his own importance has always been with him. So in the early days it was inevitable that he would eventually proposition the only being he considered powerful enough to be worthy.Freeza wonders if perhaps he shouldn’t have encouraged Vegeta’s egotismquiteso hard. Planet-destroyer or not, Vegeta was still a subordinate and not even his most powerful one.





	Turning Cartwheels on the Precipice

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you to my editor for all her invaluable assistance

For the sake of efficiency, Freeza had groups of his soldiers deliver their reports together. If he needed to make examples there would be a pool of witnesses to repeat the stories. It also helped foster competitiveness, which was a useful trait to encourage in the ranks. The last group of the day was about to wrap up their report. All of the missions being presented had been successful, so there would be no need for torture or slaughter. 

The last commander fell silent and looked expectantly at Freeza. 

‘Good. Our presence in the Vargus Sector is consolidated thanks to your combined efforts. Dismissed.’

The soldiers got off their knees. A couple of them bowed, more saluted and a few cries of ‘hail Lord Freeza!’ resonated through the throne room. They filed out as an assorted mass of alien bodies and Freeza turned his attention away from them. Beside him, Dodoria was saying something to Zarbon.

‘Lord Freeza,' came a familiar voice. Freeza turned to look down, surprised to see that the saiyan trio was lingering. Vegeta was the one who had spoken and the other two saiyans were looking at him nervously. 

‘Yes?’ Freeza asked, his lip curling slightly at being addressed without prompting.

Vegeta seemed hesitant, which was unusual enough to be interesting. ‘I had a matter I wished to discuss with you. Privately.’ He glanced over meaningfully at his companions and then at Zarbon and Dodoria. 

Freeza drummed his fingers on the side of his throne. His personal guards had once remarked that he was too indulgent with Vegeta. That when Vegeta antagonised stronger members of his army, it was unwise of him to step in to prevent... escalation. And now Vegeta was here, somehow managing to look defiant while still on one knee, and presumably about to ask a favour. A smile curled across Freeza’s lips. 

‘Leave us,’ he commanded. 

The saiyan on the left tugged at Vegeta’s sleeve and whispered urgently in his ear. Vegeta wrenched his arm back and snarled something in response. The other saiyan backed off. Ever since Vegeta had grown into his power he’d become the default leader of the trio, despite the seniority the other two held over him.

Dodoria snickered under his breath, but left with Zarbon and the other saiyans. Once they were alone, Freeza spoke. ‘You may stand,’ he said, waving a hand in Vegeta’s direction.

Vegeta stood, his hands curling into fists, seemingly unconsciously. He hesitated again. ‘Lord Freeza.’ Another pause. ‘I’m very powerful. I just destroyed an entire planet at your command.’

‘Yes, as you reported. Twenty minutes ago,’ Freeza pointed out.

Vegeta flinched, but held his ground. ‘Yes. There’s no one like me in your army. My strength has been growing exponentially and even your subordinates are starting to give me the respect I deserve.’

Freeza suppressed a smile. It was true that Vegeta’s planet-destroying power levels put him among the strongest in Freeza’s army, which wasn’t unimpressive at his level experience, but he wasn’t that special. Any ‘respect’ accorded to him was in his own head. Vegeta constantly picked fights with anyone near his power level, weaker or stronger. If Freeza hadn’t been intervening, Vegeta would have been dead ten times over by now. He was not well-liked, to say the least.

Then again, at Freeza’s power level, comparing the strength of his troops was like comparing the relative power levels of ants. ‘You’re not asking for a command position, are you?’ Freeza drawled. 

Vegeta’s brow creased. ‘What? No. I don’t want to lead a horde of inferior beings into battle. That kind of dead-weight would only slow me down. I – ’ he hesitated one more time before drawing himself up and jutting out his chin. ‘I am a superior warrior and I am inviting you to sleep with me.’ He folded his arms.

Freeza stared for a long moment, too surprised to even settle on a response. This was… unprecedented. Vegeta was doing an excellent job of hiding his unease behind arrogance. Only the rigidity of his posture betrayed him. Freeza collected himself. It wouldn’t do to laugh outright at Vegeta’s proposition, but Freeza let some of his amusement show on his face. ‘I think it would be wiser for you to invite someone at your own power level.’

Vegeta scowled and his stance shifted as wounded pride bolstered his courage. ‘Your soldiers are a bunch of weaklings compared to me. I’m asking you _because_ of your power level. You’re the only one worthy.’

Freeza’s smile broadened. It was impossible to tell if Vegeta was just boasting or if he was genuinely delusional enough to believe that he was the strongest member of the army. Leaving aside Freeza’s personal guards, the Ginyu Force, and even most of the commanders, there were individuals in Freeza’s ordinary rank-and-file that outstripped him.

‘Your flirting could use work,’ said Freeza, smirking.

This time Vegeta looked surprised. He uncrossed his arms. ‘Flirting?’ he repeated.

‘Yes, usually you’re supposed to flatter the other person, rather than yourself.’ Not that Freeza had much recent experience in that arena. None of his subordinates had ever flirted with him, let alone made a direct invitation. His power level made him far too dangerous and every _sensible_ person knew it. Then again, if Vegeta was feeling self-destructive enough to offer himself like this, he deserved what he got.

Vegeta made a dismissive gesture. ‘You know how strong you are and you don’t need me to tell you. You could have anyone you wanted. It’s more important for me to explain why _I’m_ the best choice.’

Freeza blinked. There was a… certain logic to that. Vegeta’s lack of fear was even refreshing. It might be interesting to see how far that could be… pushed. ‘So why are you the best choice?’ Freeza asked with morbid curiosity. 

Vegeta straightened up again. ‘Like I said, I’m extremely powerful. I am a saiyan elite, a powerful warrior from a race of powerful warriors, from a superior bloodline. I am destined for greatness and one day I am going to become the legendary super-saiyan.’

Freeza didn’t roll his eyes, but it was a near thing. Vegeta was _obsessed_ with that old legend from his dead race. That story didn’t matter, but the way saiyans came back from their defeats, exponentially stronger unless they were put down, was the reason Freeza had wiped them out. And the reason Vegeta and his trio were still alive. Saiyans were a threat, but they could also be useful, if handled correctly. ‘I see,’ said Freeza. ‘And I’m the _only one_ out of the _entirety_ of my army suited to you.’

‘Of course,’ said Vegeta, either immune to, or ignoring, the implicit sarcasm.

Freeza drummed his fingers on the armrest of his throne again. Toying with Vegeta was a dangerous game because if he was pushed too far he’d cease being useful. Then he’d have to be killed and that would spoil Freeza’s plans for a subordinate planet-destroyer. But the only interesting games were the ones with real stakes. 

More than that, there was something genuinely appealing about Vegeta’s overwhelming arrogance. It was part of the reason Freeza shielded him from the full repercussions of his constant aggressive challenges within the ranks. On a purely aesthetic level, he wasn’t unattractive. Unlike so many of Freeza’s troops he had a sensible build, similar to Freeza’s preferred form. And for all that he wasn’t the most powerful soldier, he was strong enough to at least _register_ as a real fighter.

‘Then I suppose I accept,’ said Freeza, giving a light smile.

‘You do? I mean, of course you do! I am obviously the best choice,’ Vegeta quickly asserted. ‘So when – ’ 

‘Tonight. You know where my quarters are. Head there at the end of the evening shift.’

Vegeta nodded, a fierce smile on his face. ‘Good.’

Freeza smirked to himself. 

///

There was nothing tentative about the sharp knock on Freeza’s door. Vegeta would have been able to approach this section of Freeza’s base unopposed. There was no point having guards posted anywhere near his personal quarters when he was the most powerful being around by orders of magnitude. 

The door slid open with the press of a button. Vegeta stood framed in the doorway, his arms folded and jaw set stubbornly. Any unease was subsumed by his arrogance and Freeza was curious whether it was deliberate or unconscious. 

‘Enter,’ said Freeza.

Vegeta strode in, barely twitching as the door slid shut behind him. Freeza rose to meet him, closing the distance between them in a slow walk. Vegeta uncrossed his arms, letting them fall to his sides. His stance shifted halfway toward a combat position. _That_ was probably unconscious. Freeza had seen enough of saiyans to understand just how deep and instinctive their aggression ran. 

When he got into range, Freeza grabbed one of Vegeta’s wrists in a movement much too fast to evade. He felt Vegeta tense beneath his hand and when he tried to jerk back instinctively, Freeza simply held on, completely immovable. Vegeta stared as he realised just how ineffective any kind of resistance would prove. He was completely out of his depth and Freeza almost told him to fight back, just to prove it beyond doubt. But that wasn’t the point of this and the game would be more interesting with a bit of subtlety. It wasn’t like Vegeta was capable of bringing any of it to this.

Freeza slowly, inexorably, lifted Vegeta’s hand and placed it on his shoulder. He slid his free hand down to Vegeta’s waist and leaned forward to kiss him. There was no need to start this any way other than innocuously. That would come later. 

Vegeta had frozen at Freeza’s little demonstration of power, but the press of lips broke his paralysis. Vegeta kissed back… enthusiastically, Freeza decided. His tongue pushed at Freeza’s lips and he bit as much as he kissed, not nearly coordinated enough to take control. Freeza tightened his grip on Vegeta’s waist before running the edge of his teeth across Vegeta’s bottom lip. He released Vegeta’s wrist to slide a hand into his hair. Mammalian hair was endlessly fascinating and it doubled as an excellent handhold to tilt Vegeta’s head back. 

Vegeta wasn’t really keeping up and his kissing left a lot to be desired. Freeza drew back. His gaze roamed Vegeta’s face, flicking down briefly to stare at his lips. He looked faintly dazed, like he’d been kicked in the head, but heat in his eyes hadn’t dimmed at all. He tried to surge forward, but Freeza pulled him back by the hair. ‘Have you actually done this before?’ he asked. Having made his point, he let Vegeta go.

Vegeta met his gaze unflinchingly. ‘Of course I’ve had sex before. I reached my majority _years_ ago.’

‘And did none of your previous encounters teach you anything about kissing?’ Freeza asked with a sneer.

Vegeta’s expression twisted into a snarl. ‘And just what could some inferior beings teach me, a saiyan elite, about _anything?_ Besides, kissing is easy,’ he scoffed.

Freeza just stared at him. This might actually make things more interesting. Overwhelming a completely inexperienced partner was much too easy to be amusing, but overwhelming one whose own delusional arrogance had left them vulnerable… well there was a certain _elegance_ to that.

‘I see,’ said Freeza, walking back toward his bed and removing his arm-guards. Vegeta watched the movements intently. ‘Get rid of your armour too.’

Vegeta nodded slowly, his gaze still focused on Freeza’s body, staring at the newly bared skin. It was even gratifying. Freeza wore the same armour style as his troops, but it was only an affectation. An attack of sufficient power would shred his armour way before it would mark his flesh. But it was good for moral to be seen as _part_ of the army he commanded.

Vegeta removed his armour quickly, the movements awkward and graceless, with no thought given to effect. Much like his flirting, he seemed a lot more concerned with reaching an end goal than with the process itself. It made him a good subordinate, but totally unsuited to command. At least he seemed to recognise that much, even if his logic was twisted through his own sense of self-importance. 

Freeza paused a moment to let Vegeta finish stripping down before removing his final pieces of armour. The symbolism of being partially clothed while Vegeta stood completely naked was irrelevant here. It was almost certainly too subtle a cue for Vegeta to pick up. It did, however, guarantee Vegeta’s undivided attention. 

The last piece of armour thumped to the floor and Freeza locked eyes with Vegeta. ‘Come over here,’ he said quietly and even Vegeta seemed capable of recognising it as an order.

Vegeta stalked over, far too unconcerned. That would change, but for now Freeza let himself enjoy the form of his bed partner. His skin was unscaled and unpatterned. Only the occasional scar or patch of hair interrupted the uniform expanse of him. He wasn’t the first mammal Freeza had slept with, but it was an unusual enough occurrence that novelty was still a factor. Vegeta smirked as he came to stand just in front of Freeza. He seemed to have enjoyed the appraisal, if his blatant arousal was any indication.

Freeza returned the smirk. Then moving at top speeds, he grabbed Vegeta by the arm and flipped him overhead to crash down against the mattress. Without releasing that grip on his arm, Freeza followed Vegeta down and planted a knee in the middle of his back. He barely had time to even cry out as Freeza simply wrenched his arm up. It wouldn’t take much force at this angle to break bone. The power differential between them was big enough that Freeza could even do it accidently if his concentration slipped. A heady thought. 

Vegeta had recovered from the shock and now had his teeth gritted against the pain of his position. He seemed on the edge of speaking so Freeza applied just a touch more pressure. This elicited a howl and some thrashing, but Freeza held Vegeta still so he wouldn’t accidently snap his arm. He hadn’t decided if he wanted to go that far yet. 

‘Have you ever broken someone’s arm in bed?’ Freeza asked idly. 

Vegeta stilled, only the slight shudders running through his body indicating his adrenaline. He twisted his head around to look Freeza in the eyes. ‘Yes,’ he said flatly. 

Freeza cocked his head and searched Vegeta’s expression. There was no posturing, no defensiveness, just a cold look that Freeza recognised. It was the same expression he sometimes caught glimpses of in reflective surfaces.

For that reason alone Freeza believed Vegeta. He wasn’t going to ask for clarification and find out if it had been deliberate or accidental. Freeza didn’t choose his recruits based on how cooperative and civilised they were. He seldom stepped in during brawls or any of the low-grade nastiness that made up the day-to-day interactions between his soldiers. Vegeta fit right in, even when he’d been young. If the saiyans hadn’t been such a threat they would have been a fine permanent addition to his forces.

It occurred to Freeza that there would be interesting flow-on effects of giving Vegeta such a skewed impression of how sex with an overwhelmingly more powerful fighter went. Freeza had no doubt that Vegeta would eventually become one of the strongest members of his army, especially after suffering a brutal defeat or two. It was built into the saiyan species. That meant that Vegeta would one day find himself in Freeza’s position, entertaining himself with a weaker fighter and repeating this violence. 

The idea pleased Freeza. He had deliberately sown antagonism and brutality in his forces until it became self-perpetuating. It was one of the reasons his army was the strongest and most feared collection of fighters in the galaxy. 

He carefully and precisely applied the barest amount of extra pressure on Vegeta’s arm. It was a delicate balance to avoid actually snapping the bone, and the pain had Vegeta making a high noise in the back of his throat. Freeza indulged in the fantasy of actually following through for another few seconds before easing his grip and pulling Vegeta up again. He was delighted to see that Vegeta was still hard and even the pain and panic hadn’t managed to completely dull that desperate want.

Freeza leaned forward and bit at Vegeta’s lip. In the same instant he let go of Vegeta’s arm to grab his cock and stroke it lightly instead. It was warm in his hand and Vegeta froze at the conflicting signals of threat and pleasure. Freeza pushed him back against the bed covers, almost gently. The wariness slowly faded from Vegeta’s expression as pleasure slackened his features. 

Freeza contemplated wrapping a hand around his throat and squeezing. He wondered if that would get him more of an angry response or a fearful one. Then he noticed that saiyan tail lashing against the covers beside them and smiled. Still moving his hand lazily over Vegeta’s cock, he reached out with his other hand and ran it lightly along the length of Vegeta’s tail. 

The response was instant and Vegeta gave a hoarse little cry as his body tensed up in a violent shudder. Freeza hadn’t touched him with more than the lightest suggestion of pressure. ‘Sensitive?’ Freeza asked with a cruel smirk.

Vegeta forced his clenched jaw to relax and locked eyes with Freeza. ‘I can handle it,’ he snapped, a sort of proud ire flashing across his face.

This was almost too easy. Freeza barely had to goad him at all. He wrapped his hand around Vegeta’s tail again, this time holding on, but still not quite squeezing. ‘Well, you are a powerful warrior,’ Freeza admitted, enjoying the feel of the strange mammalian fur beneath his hand, almost as much as he enjoyed watching Vegeta fight himself to hide his reaction to the threat.

‘Ex-exactly!’ Vegeta panted, his back arching slightly, either to press himself closer to Freeza’s hand on his cock or as a bid to get his tail free. Freeza squeezed Vegeta’s tail lightly in warning and smirked at the harsh noise he got in response. Then for few moments he put serious effort into making it good. Vegeta was extremely responsive and it was easy picking up the cues about what he liked. 

Vegeta flung an arm across his face and bit down on his own forearm to stifle the noises he was making. At that point Freeza stopped, releasing both his cock and tail. Vegeta made an indignant noise against his arm, before scrabbling at the bedcovers to get himself half propped up. ‘No! Keep going!’ he ordered, the pleasure or his own innate arrogance making him forget exactly what he was dealing with.

Freeza gave him a mild look in response, the same one he used on subordinates that had failed to carry out their assignments. Vegeta subsided somewhat, but his expression remained obstinate. ‘I think a little reciprocity is in order,’ Freeza said.

Vegeta gaped at him for a moment. Then his gaze flicked up and down Freeza’s body. He spent just a moment too long staring at the spot between Freeza’s legs. ‘What do you want?’ he asked haltingly.

Freeza smirked. It was a perfectly legitimate thing to ask a new bed-partner, expected even. But it could just as easily be a way for Vegeta to hide his uncertainty. If Vegeta had been smarter or less delusional, it would indicate that he recognised the nature of this encounter and that everything that happened here would be at Freeza’s own whim. That seemed unlikely, to say the least.

Freeza hooked a hand behind Vegeta’s head and brought him in for another kiss. Vegeta was a lot less focused this time and Freeza took a moment to languidly explore his mouth. The warmth of him and the rapidity of his pulse all served as a reminder of how alien he was. In some ways it was more striking than the surface differences like the patches of hair or fur. His very _biochemistry_ was something strange and mammalian. 

Freeza slid a leg around Vegeta and brought them flush, hip to hip. A shudder ran through Vegeta’s body and he started rocking against the smoother scales that ran down Freeza’s front. It was an interesting sensation, having the hot length of Vegeta’s erection pressed against him. Odd for any species to have such exposed, vulnerable genitalia. 

Arousal coiled through Freeza’s body. It had stirred in him when he’d begun subtly hurting Vegeta. The direct stimulation was turning the light simmer into something more urgent. Freeza groaned into the kiss as his body finally got the message and the cartilaginous plates of his lower region shifted and slid against each other. It was a profound relief when his slit widened and his cock extended. The shift was very different to changing between combat forms. That was a discipline. This was as natural as breathing and felt just about as good as that first lungful of air after surviving vacuum for an extended period.

Freeza shoved himself against Vegeta’s cock, enjoying the heat of him pressed against the edges of his slit and flush against his own cock. It earned him a strangled moan and Vegeta clutched at his shoulders. It was almost tempting to simply push him flat and rut against him until they both came. If there had been any doubt about who would win an encounter if things turned violent, he might have. But this game was about much more than simple _physical_ gratification. 

Freeza drew back. Vegeta tried to follow, but pulled back at the last moment. His gaze snapped down to stare at Freeza’s exposed parts. There was a deep fascination in his expression and for the first time it occurred to Freeza that _he_ was the strange one in Vegeta’s eyes. He almost chuckled. 

‘To answer your question,’ Freeza began, ‘I want your mouth. And if you do a good enough job, I’ll continue where I left off with you.’

Vegeta’s expression had gone from interest to trepidation. Freeza hoped that some of that reluctance came from the fact that he hadn’t exactly made his touch unequivocally pleasurable. Getting Vegeta to want, to even _ask_ for that kind of mistreatment was an intoxicating thought.

‘Alright,’ Vegeta said slowly, still staring at Freeza’s body. His head tilted slightly to one side.

Freeza supressed the urge to roll his eyes and grabbed a handful of Vegeta’s hair instead. Vegeta started to flinch back, but his reflexes weren’t nearly fast enough. Freeza pulled him down between his thighs and leaned back far enough to get comfortable while still maintaining a clear view. He could feel Vegeta’s warm breath against flushed, sensitive flesh. 

‘Lick,’ Freeza commanded. ‘Start by tracing the edges of my slit with your tongue. If I feel even a hint of teeth I’ll break more than just your arm,’ he added as an afterthought. If his tone was a little breathless, Vegeta was hardly in a position to notice. Instead he muttered something against Freeza’s thigh and a moment later the soft pressure of an exotically warm tongue had Freeza exhaling sharply.

Vegeta was once again a lot more enthusiastic than proficient. He followed the order well enough, but seemed to have trouble with precision. His tongue occasionally slipped into to the slit, so he was licking at the base of Freeza’s cock. Not unpleasant, by any means, but it was hardly the most sensitive area. Freeza directed as best he could by tugging Vegeta by the hair, but it was hard to focus with arousal coursing through him so strongly. 

Pleasure danced down his nerves, the sensation so much more intense than the signals from any other part of his body. Even Vegeta’s inexpert touch was enough to have him nearly aching with it. ‘More,’ Freeza ordered, trying to steady his voice against the waves of intense feeling. ‘Your lips... around my cock… no teeth.’

Fortunately the instruction was clear enough to get Freeza what he wanted. With minimal tugging, Vegeta realigned himself to suck at the head of Freeza’s cock. Unlike near-comically large mammalian genitalia, Freeza was the right size to easily fit in Vegeta’s mouth. He ground upwards until the edges of his slit were pressed against Vegeta’s jaw and all the most sensitive parts of his cock were engulfed in that wet heat. ‘Suck,’ Freeza ordered, an involuntary growl underlying his words. 

His head thudded back against the bedcovers as Vegeta complied. One of Freeza’s legs rose and he slung it over Vegeta’s shoulder and back, pinning him closer. His eyes were almost closed as he simply let the sensations wash through him. Even thoughts of petty cruelties and violence were slipping from his mind as he indulged in simple gratification. He hissed and bucked slightly as he approached his peak. Even Vegeta managed to sense it and he redoubled his efforts, the simple enthusiasm almost as good as skill.

Freeza dug his fingers into Vegeta’s scalp as he came, pressing himself against those warm lips. He was only barely mindful not to crush Vegeta’s skull and end the entertainment. For a handful of heartbeats there was nothing but deep pleasure and a hyper-awareness of his body. As reality reasserted itself, Freeza pulled Vegeta’s head back by his hair. Much more stimulation would have had the sensation sliding toward unpleasant. Besides, the desperation in Vegeta’s face, warring with his anger and pride, was a gorgeous sight.

Vegeta braced himself against the bed with one hand and wiped his jaw clean with his free hand. He was staring at Freeza with a mixture of trepidation and defiance. ‘I want-!’ he asserted, before cutting himself off with a scowl. ‘I did what you wanted. You said… you said you’d keep going.’

Freeza was almost impressed. Even with some time to calm down and think, Vegeta was still interested enough in the pleasure to ignore the less than benevolent aspects of what Freeza had done to him… or at least convinced of his ability to endure it.

Freeza used his grip on Vegeta’s hair to drag him down backward to the mattress. The struggling looked like an automatic response. ‘Sorry, did that hurt?’ Freeza asked in a careless tone. ‘It’s hard to know how much I should be moderating my strength around someone like you.’

Vegeta snarled up at him. ‘You don’t need to moderate your strength at all! I’m not some weakling. That didn’t hurt.’

Freeza swung himself over Vegeta in one fluid movement so he ended straddling his thighs. He tilted Vegeta’s head back further, admiring the line of his bared throat. The jump of his pulse was strong enough to be visible. Freeza traced the line of Vegeta’s artery with one fingertip. It would be all too easy to rip through those shallow vessels or crush that vulnerable windpipe with a single squeeze. It was easy enough to be beneath him. Vegeta wasn’t a challenge or an adversary. The most interesting thing about him was how far he was letting himself be pushed without having the sense to fight back.

Freeza wrapped his hand around Vegeta’s cock, giving it a few languid strokes before grabbing a thigh with his free hand and digging his fingers in hard enough to bruise. Vegeta jerked beneath him, air hissing through his clenched teeth as he fought against the pain. Freeza sped up his pace on Vegeta’s cock and swiped a thumb over the head. 

‘Is this what you want?’ he asked, unable to completely disguise the malice in his tone while he was this satisfied. 

Vegeta didn’t seem to notice, his eyes were scrunched tight and his head was tilted right away. ‘Yes!’

Freeza smirked to himself increased the pressure he was applying to Vegeta’s thigh to push his legs apart and get a better view. As inefficient as Vegeta’s anatomy looked, there was something almost compelling about it. Especially in holding such an obvious vulnerability in the palm of his hand. That reminded him… Freeza watched Vegeta’s twitching tail, thinking of the best way to use _that_ particular vulnerability.

Smirking to himself, Freeza eased his grip on Vegeta’s thigh, even stroking at the skin. He increased his pace, following Vegeta’s unsubtle cues and generally keeping things pleasant and comforting. Vegeta responded magnificently to a kind touch, his hips rose against Freeza’s hand and the noises he made were gratifying even without the underlying sound of pain. Freeza stared hungrily at Vegeta’s face, watching for the moment when he was on the edge of coming. The timing would need to be precise.

There. Vegeta’s fingers dug into the bedcovers and his eyes slid shut. His hips snapped up, driving his cock harder into Freeza’s grip. Just before he tipped over the edge, Freeza grabbed Vegeta’s tail and _yanked_ , simultaneously giving him just that shade of extra pressure around his cock. Vegeta screamed as he came, the sound laced with a delightful agony. He still spilled himself over Freeza’s hand, the reaction unstoppable at precisely the right point. Freeza sighed in deep satisfaction. 

He gave Vegeta a slow appraisal. His jaw was set and the resolve in his gaze was almost, _almost_ , enough to mask the pain Freeza had so careful applied. It was fascinating. The faint trembling in his body was barely perceptible and Freeza reached out and stroked Vegeta’s flank, just to watch him try and supress a flinch. Unsuccessfully. 

‘Was sex with a power level like mine all you hoped it would be?’ Freeza asked, genuinely curious about how Vegeta would answer.

‘Yes,’ Vegeta said shortly, his expression set and his gaze fixed determinedly on the bedsheets. 

Freeza marvelled at this clear rejection of reality. Was Vegeta hiding his obvious distress or did it go deeper than that? Had Vegeta managed to convince himself that he _had_ enjoyed this? Did he have any concept of just how cruelly his vulnerabilities had been exploited? Anyone else would have been curled up and possibly sobbing by now. He’d made it happen before.

In his mind’s eye, Freeza saw the exact things he could say to goad Vegeta into coming back. A careful dig at his pride, a condescending jab at Vegeta’s _potential_ to become a compelling bedroom partner… With just the right sort of pressure Vegeta would certainly believe that this was just how sex _was_ when one partner was so much stronger. It would be easy enough to have him _ask_ for this again. But much like killing him, it would be too easy, pointless. Freeza had no illusions about how delicate this situation was and how he could break Vegeta with this if he was careless.

‘I’m glad,’ Freeza said offhandedly. ‘But of course we won’t be able to do this again.’

Vegeta looked up sharply, his eyes widening. ‘We – we won’t?’ he repeated.

‘Mm. I wouldn’t want anyone to think I’m _favouring_ you in some way. It would hardly be good for morale. Every assignment I sent you on would be questioned. Not openly, but you know how rumours spread, and I need my army to be a _coherent_ force.’

Freeza was almost certain that Vegeta had no idea about the naked hope that was gathering in his eyes. ‘You’re right! I want to carve out my reputation in blood and combat myself. I don’t want _anyone_ to be able to question it.’

Freeza smirked. ‘Exactly. This was… entertaining, but I’m sure you understand why it won’t happen again.’

‘Yes. Yes of course, Lord Freeza,’ said Vegeta. His brow was furrowed either in thought, or something more visceral. 

‘You may go,’ Freeza said, waving a hand in the direction of his door. Vegeta got to his feet and started pulling on his armour. His hands were barely shaking now. He made his way out, no faster than when he’d entered. Freeza watched him go, both amused and sated. Let it not be said that Lord Freezer was _incapable_ of mercy.


End file.
